How to add people to an architectural render in Photoshop
Dropping figures into a render takes minutes once you know the order to do things in. Here is a reliable workflow.
1. Make the figure
Open the Scale Figure Studio, pick a pose and style, and export a transparent PNG. If you have Pro and use Photoshop, the Photoshop panel can place the figure straight into your open document so you can skip the export and import step.
2. Place it as a Smart Object
Use File > Place Embedded (or Place Linked if you want to update the file later). A Smart Object lets you resize and transform the figure without losing quality.
3. Set the scale
An average adult is roughly 1.7–1.8 m tall. Measure a known object in your render, such as a door at about 2.1 m, and size the figure against it. Feet should sit on the floor plane, not float above it.
4. Match the perspective
Look at the camera height in your render. Figures standing on the ground have their eye line at your horizon line, so everyone's eyes should sit near the horizon. If your figures are looking down on the viewer, the view angle is wrong, so choose a different view before exporting.
5. Match the light
- Pick a shaded figure if your render has realistic lighting, and rotate the studio's sun dial to match the direction of your sun.
- Add a shadow on a layer below the figure. Use a soft black layer, blurred, set to Multiply at around 40–60% opacity.
- Use a Curves or Levels adjustment clipped to the figure to match overall brightness and contrast.
6. Blend
A very slight Gaussian blur (0.3–0.6 px) on figures in the background helps them sit in the depth of field. Add a touch of noise if your render has grain.
Common mistakes
- Figures that are too sharp and too bright against a soft image.
- Everyone facing the camera. Turn some away, some sideways.
- No shadows, so people look pasted on.